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GEN CON Preview 2025 — The ENVIE Games!

For the sixth year in a row, I’ll be missing GEN CON. I used to love attending with my buddies from Lafayette, and hanging out with friends all over the country. But, back in 2019, we started putting all of our energy into making Southern Board Game Fest the premier regional con in Louisiana, and shifted our focus to smaller cons like BGG CON and Dice Tower Con. Something just had to give, and it was GEN CON, unfortunately.

Despite the lack of visits, I still get excited when GEN CON rolls around. I love reading about all of the new releases that come out each year. Is the list of new games getting smaller? Who knows?

What I do know is that everyone owes a debt of gratitude to W. Eric Martin for his amazing GENCON preview list:

https://boardgamegeek.com/geekpreview/77/gen-con-2025-preview

This year, Eric has 516 titles (including demo games) on the list as of July 12, which is about the same as last year, but does feel smaller than the list from the years prior to COVID.

But enough blather, it’s time to start looking at the games that I would have checked out at GNE CON had I gone this year. Luckily, we still have a few Acadiana gamers that make the trek this year — maybe I can talk them into bringing back a few of these with them when they come home.

I call this annual list my ENVIE GAMES list, because in Cajun French, we say we have the “envie” for something when we really, really want it. So, these are the games that I would have been lining up to purchase if I were going to GEN CON.

THE ENVIE GAMES (the ones I would have bought):

1. Luthier, Paverson Games, Booth 2250

Distilled is one of the most thematic euros we’ve played in the last few years, right up there with Rock Hard 1977. And this time, Paverson Games is publishing a game about making musical instruments? Let’s count off the beat: Art from Vincent Dutrait? Check. Another game designed by Dave Beck (with co-designer Abe Burson)? Check. Cool theme? Check, check, check. Chord me in.

2. Age of Galaxy, Portal Games, Booth 235

It has been a while since I was this pumped about a Portal Games release, probably all the way back to Empires of the North — which is still one of my favorite games of all time. Age of Galaxy has a very generic name, but the gameplay looks very solid. it’s a second edition of a game from Jeffrey CCH, a very underrated designer, and supposedly is a civ-adjacent card game that is also a One Hour Wonder.

3. Nature, NorthStar Game Studios, Booth 2713

Is this Dom’s magnum opus? Dominic Crapuchettes has been working, refining, tweaking, and improving this card driven habitat system for years. Oceans was amazing, but Nature looks even better, including some gorgeous art from Catherine Hamilton and Lauren Helton. Can’t wait to play it as one of the guys in Acadiana has already ordered a copy. Plus, Dom is a big supporter of Southern Board Game Fest, so I’m pulling for this game to do well.

4. Raising Chicago, Capstone Games, Booth 3027

Hey, I absolutely loved my two plays of Squaring Circleville last year. Raising Chicago, from the same designer, Matt Wolfe, looks like another great mid-weight, strategic euro. I love a good tile placement game, and this one looks like a historical masterpiece.

5. Lightning Train, Dire Wolf, Booth 2402

So a little known designer named Paul Dennen has another game out. Ahem — yeah, that Paul Dennen (Clank! Dune: Imperium, etc.) It’s a bag builder, which already gets me juiced up to try it, with an interesting train theme. Sold!

6. Railroad Tiles, Horrible Guild, Booth 2136

What if I told you that the designers of Dragon Castle, Potion Explosion, Railroad Ink, The King’s Dilemma, The Great Split and Steam Park have a new train game coming to GEN CON? Need I say more?

7. Ofrenda, Osprey Games, Booth 2904

Sometimes I get excited about games just based on the backstory. Ofrenda started out as another theme, but a combination of festivals and the COCO movie from Pixar inspired the designers. I’m also a fan of the use of the Small World purchasing mechanic, so this is one I would definitely get.

8. Red Letter Yellow Letter, 25th Century Games

I love quick playing, group style party games, and the designer of Red Letter Yellow Letter has made a bunch of doozies. Nathan Thornton has been on a roll with party games — Medium, Green Team Wins, and Everything Ever — and I can’t wait to try this newest one.

9. Soda Jerk, Allplay, Booth 1849

Chris Yi from the Dice Tower has his first published design, and it’s a cute little hand management game that the box says is small and only takes fifteen minutes. Who doesn’t have 15 minutes?

10. Wriggle Roulette, Oink Games, Booth 943

I always include at least one Oink Games’ release. This year, the obligatory Oink Games’ release is a colorful little push your luck game from star designers, Bruno Faidutti and Jun Sasaki. It’s a “grab in the bag” game about snakes and eels. What could possibly geaux wrong?

11. Transgalactica from Devir, Booth 2711

This one hit my radar courtesy of The Board Boys Podcast. Board Boy Rob has talked up the gameplay. I usually like the small box games from Devir (The White Castle and Cities being my recent favorites) so I’m willing to give this one a try.

12. Zenith, PlayPunk, Booth 3039

Are Gregory Grard and Mathieu Roussel two of the top designers you should but maybe don’t already know? Already, The two have designed Castle Combo, and Grard also designed In the Footsteps of Darwin with Matthieu Verdier. PlayPunk had a mega hit with Captain Flip, one of the absolute best gateway and filler games we’ve played the last few years. And now, here’s another in that same genre.

13. Storytailors, APE Games, Booth 2549.

My little grandbugs are really into board games now. Storytailors was a game that always looked interesting to me, but impossible to get (as far as I know) in English. APE Games is apparently going to publish an English version for the first time. It’s from ace children’s games designers, Marie & Wilfried Fort, who made two of my family’s favorite games: Snail Sprint and Valley of the Viking. So, yes, this one would definitely come home with me.

14. Guildlands, Outset Media (not sure of booth)

Okay, I admit, I passed this one by just based on the name and the cover at first. Then I heard a couple of podcasters talk about it. Then I checked out the gameplay — city building with tile placement and variable player powers. I like that combo. This is a shaky ENVIE game – it’s kinda between a “want” and a “would like to try”.

Speaking of games to try:

THE TO-TRY LIST:

Here is a list of games that I would probably want to try first before deciding to buy. I will limit myself to just small phrases about each game as a challenge.

1. 12 Rivers, Good Games Publishing

Is it silly that I picked this one because the name reminded me of The Dragon Reborn books?